Chapter 40
Chapter Forty
Bets had both pride and her loyalty. She’d been on a metaphorical journey and in many ways she’d achieved what she’d set out to do: prove to herself and everyone else that she was more than the local girl who had never been out of her comfort zone.
It was tempting to stay home and not go to the ball.
Being Cinders had its appeal. But she wanted to return in triumph.
She was so much more than everyone had ever believed she could be.
She wasn’t in Jack’s shadow anymore, she was a person in her own right, her own person, and she should be proud of that.
But she missed him with a keen ache in her heart.
Things would never be the same again. And now she had to get on with it as best she could.
She lifted her chin as she eyed herself in the full-length mirror in the hallway outside her bedroom.
This time she was confident in her choice of dress, one she’d bought in an expensive dress shop in Harrogate on a rare day off, accompanied by Stacey and Robin.
The rich chestnut-brown of the dress complemented her hair, which she’d piled high on her head in a messy mass of curls that Stacey had taught her how to do.
The low-cut neckline emphasised her cleavage, something she’d not ever had the confidence to reveal before, and the silk hugged her curves, making her feel like a statuesque goddess.
Stacey had also taught her a few tricks to make her green eyes stand out, with smoky make-up and tawny eyeliner.
‘You’ll do,’ she said to herself in the mirror, pleased that she looked just like a TV star should.
She smiled when she thought of Doris’ reaction.
The old lady would be so proud of her, too.
If only Jack had seen her like this before.
Her eyes blurred again. God, she had to stop this. Stop thinking about him.
Maybe it wouldn’t have been so bad if Tiggy was around but Jack had dropped her off with Ella and Devon on the way to the airport and they’d all agreed it wouldn’t be fair to collect her and then leave her on her own for hours while Bets went to the ball.
She’d be better off spending the night with Dexter and Tess.
Ten minutes later, Bets was crossing the village green to the marquee, which had been dressed up somewhat since the night of the comedy. Wooden flower boxes filled with a mix of white and purple petunias flanked the entrance to the tent, which was manned by Geoffrey and George.
She walked up to them. ‘Evening,’ she said with a sly smile. It was gratifying when Geoffrey said, ‘Have you got your ticket?’ He looked at her expectantly.
And then he looked again.
‘Bets?’
She smiled. ‘Evening, Geoffrey.’
‘Oh, my word,’ said George. ‘Look at you. You’re back. And don’t you look fine.’
‘Thank you,’ she said, aware of a subtle wave of attention through the crowded tent. People looking at her, as if wondering who she was, and then twigging.
‘Oh, my God! Bets!’ Ella came running up, wobbling on her silver heels, the length of her blue dress gathered in her hands. ‘You look … absolutely flipping gorgeous.’ She threw her arms around Bets and hugged her. ‘I’ve missed you.’
‘I’ve missed you, too.’
Devon followed in Ella’s wake. ‘Welcome home, Bets. Good to see you.’ He kissed her on each cheek. ‘You look wonderful.’ He grimaced. ‘You’re not going to leave us, are you? You look so glam, are you too posh for us now?’ He took her hand and looked at the glossy nails.
She laughed. ‘Don’t be silly, where would I go?’
‘I heard they’re filming another series.
’ At the sound of the diffidence in his voice, Bets responded firmly, ‘Not for another six months,’ before adding with newfound confidence, ‘So you’ll have plenty of time to find temporary cover for me this time.
’ She was dying to ask if they’d found a replacement for Jack.
Suddenly Doris was at her elbow, hugging her. ‘Have I missed you, young lady,’ she said sternly. ‘I hope you don’t plan to go off gallivanting too often. This place is far too quiet without you.’
Once upon a time Bets would have said, ‘Of course not.’ Now she couldn’t guarantee that. She’d always love Wilsgrave but now she knew that she could adapt and survive elsewhere.
‘I’ve missed you, too, Doris,’ she said.
‘God, I hope not. Surely you had better things to do. And those plants of yours. They’ve had it, I’m afraid.
Stupid things. They don’t like being moved or changes to their environment.
’ She folded her scrawny arms, her taffeta pink dress spread around her body like giant wings, and gave Bets a beady stare as she continued, ‘People, however, can thrive in a new place. They don’t need to be stuck in the same old.
It does them good to make changes. Are you listening to me? ’
Bets nodded, although Audrey was already at her side.
‘Bets, darling. It’s so wonderful to see you. Welcome ho—’
‘I was just telling her,’ interrupted Doris, obviously keen to make sure her point was made.
Bets embraced Audrey. ‘Hello, you’ve excelled yourself again.
’ She waved a hand at the immaculate decoration in the marquee.
Elaborate flower arrangements filled urns around the room, which coordinated with deep rose-pink accessories, the napkins, table runners and bows on the chairs.
A large wooden dance floor dominated the centre of the marquee where a string quartet played soft classical music.
As always with Audrey in charge, it was classy, understated and tasteful.
‘And so have you, you look stunning.’ Audrey examined her face. ‘Although you look a little tired.’ She smiled. ‘Oh, there’s Pam, I must speak to her.’ She darted off in her usual busy, busy fashion.
Bets turned and found that everyone seemed to have melted away.
She stood, a lone observer, watching the men in their tuxes, the women in their brightly coloured dresses, and George, his ever-present mustard cardigan peeping from beneath his black jacket.
She smiled to herself. She had missed them all.
She would be fine. It would be hard but in the long term she was going to be just fine.
About to help herself to a glass of sparkling wine from a passing waiter, she was grabbed by the arm.
‘Miss, miss. Can you come outside.’ The boy, about ten or twelve, tugged at the fabric of her skirt.
She smiled down at him, recognising him now. It was the son of Annie from the salsa class.
‘Hi, there,’ she said.
‘Can you come outside with me?’
‘Not just now,’ she said, wanting to catch up with her friends.
‘Just for a minute.’
‘Later, maybe,’ she replied, already starting to walk away to catch up with Ella, who inexplicably turned her back on her.
‘Please, miss. There’s a dog. I can hear it. In the pond. It’s drowning, I think, or hurt. Aren’t you an animal nurse? You’ve got to help. It’s the law.’
Devon was nowhere to be seen. She huffed out a sigh. ‘Come on, then.’ She lifted up her skirts and walked out of the side entrance, listening hard. She couldn’t hear a thing.
The sun still shone and she lifted her face to its dying warmth, listening harder. All she could hear was the birdsong. No distressed dogs. But the moral duty was ingrained. She had to check. The boy had disappeared and she hoped he wasn’t involved in some way. Had the dog drowned?
Picking up her pace, she ran in her heels, not an easy thing to do, towards the pond, worried about what she might find.
Her heels kept sinking in the soft grass but she managed to stay upright, until …
the very last minute. Sod’s law, her foot caught on an uneven tussock and she tripped.
Desperately trying to regain her equilibrium, she flailed her arms like manic windmills, but it was no use, the momentum carried her forward and she landed face first in all two feet of the sludgy green pond.
‘Ooof,’ she groaned, lifting her head and manging to keep it out of the muddy extremely smelly water.
‘Ugh,’ she squeaked and for moment felt a touch of despair.
Why did this have to happen tonight of all nights?
This was supposed to be her triumphant return to the village.
With a ragged sigh, she dragged herself upwards, the fabric of her beautiful dress clinging to her, wrapping around her body like an overtight snakeskin.
As she launched herself to her knees, bottom in the air, a familiar voice said.
‘Can I help you there?’
Her legs turned boneless and she almost crumpled.
Had she hit her head? Slowly she turned, scarcely daring to breathe in case she was imagining things. But there he was. Standing on the edge of the pond in a black dinner suit.
‘Jack!’ Heedless of his shiny shoes, he stepped forward into the water and walked towards her.
He held out an arm and she put her muddy palm into his hand and he pulled her to her feet.
Standing opposite him, the water streaming down her, she stared at him, her heart beating so fast in her chest, she thought it might burst out at any second.
‘J-Jack? What are you doing here?’ she asked, disbelief in every syllable.
Then she noticed Tiggy with a big red bow around her collar that matched the scarlet bow-tie Jack wore, standing, strangely patient, at the water’s edge.
‘Waiting for you,’ he said and reached over to wipe a piece of pond weed from her bare shoulder before taking her other hand and holding tight on to both of them.
‘But,’ she looked up at the sky. ‘You’re supposed to be on a plane.’
He shook his head, his expression enigmatic.
‘What? What are you doing here?’ she asked again, clutching his hands, because nothing made sense and her brain didn’t seem to be able to catch up and she never wanted to let go of him.
‘I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t go.’ Jack’s face softened, a tender expression that sent a shooting star of joy through her. ‘Not without you,’ he whispered, his eyes never leaving hers.
‘I thought you’d gone,’ she whispered back, unable to believe he was here. Right here in front of her.
He let go of her hands and put an arm round her waist, pulling her to him. He lifted his other hand to her face, his thumb swiping across her cheekbone. ‘I couldn’t. I thought I could but when it came to it…’ His voice broke. ‘I love you, Bets. I want to be with you.’
Her breath caught fast in her lungs. All she could do was let her fingers roam over his face.
‘You’re really here.’ Tears began to stream down her face.
‘I thought you’d gone.’ She glanced back towards the marquee, realising it had gone very quiet and that she could see George peeping out of the entrance.
‘No one said anything. Ella said Devon had taken you to the airport.’
Jack gave her a sudden grin. ‘He did and he’s livid with me that I let him get all the way to Heathrow before I told him I’d changed my mind.
I’d already decided that maybe I could go out there and once I was there, I could ask you to come out for a holiday, but then …
I couldn’t do it. Couldn’t leave until I’d seen you. Until we talked.’
‘But what about your job? This is your dream job.’
‘It wouldn’t be enough – because I’d miss you too much.’
Her heart expanded so fast and wide, she thought she might burst.
‘Really?’ she asked in a whisper.
‘Honestly and truly. I don’t want to live anywhere without you again because I’m only half of myself without you. This last month has been bad enough.’
Bets looked into his eyes and saw the truth in every word.
‘I … I could come with you,’ she said, catching her lip in her teeth, watching him carefully.
‘You could.’ He stroked her face. ‘But only if it’s what you want.’
‘I want.’
‘But what about your new career? You mustn’t give that up.’
She gave him a tremulous smile. ‘There are planes. It’ll just be a hell of a long commute.’
He grinned down at her. ‘Sounds like a plan. I think we might have a deal.’
‘I think we might.’
‘And a deal needs sealing.’
‘It certainly does.’
His mouth dipped to hers, his lips roving over hers with quick, hungry desperation while she wrapped her arms around his neck, anchoring herself to him because at any second she might float away with sheer light-headed happiness.
When breathing became absolutely necessary, Bets pulled back a little and stared up at Jack’s face and his tender expression filled with wonderment.
‘There was one other thing,’ said Jack.
‘What?’ asked Bets, still a little dazed.
He gave her a wry smile as Tiggy let out an unhappy yip, as if to say, ‘Oi, what about me?’ Then he took her hand as they sploshed over to the dog.
Tiggy threw herself at Bets, beside herself with joy, sniffling and snuffling, her body wiggling with excitement.
‘Hold still,’ said Jack, crouching down, tugging at the big bow attached to the collar. Bets was too busy stroking Tiggy’s velvet head to wonder what he was up to as she knelt beside him.
Suddenly there was a dark blue box in Jack’s hand.
‘I had this all planned out but your impromptu swim…’
He shifted to move onto one knee and although her heart had been put through its paces in the last few minutes, it rallied once more, fluttering in her chest like a trapped bird.
‘Bets, Tiggy and I … well, we’ve been talking…’
‘You have?’ Bets raised an eyebrow. Her gaze flicked from the box to Jack’s determined and slightly petrified face.
‘We have … and it’s only fair to tell you that I have her full permission to propose.
She says she needs two parents.’ He stopped and with a shaking hand opened the box.
A single solitaire on a platinum band winked up at her, twinkling in the low sunlight.
‘Bets Fowler, I love you with all my pitiful heart. Do you think…’ Now his voice shook.
‘D-do you think that you might like to m-marry me?’
‘Oh, Jack,’ she said with an involuntary sob and threw herself into his arms. They both collapsed onto the grass and Tiggy, thinking it was part of a new game, jumped on top of them, front paws on Jack’s head and back paws on Bets’ neck.
From the marquee a huge round of applause erupted with catcalls and cheers.
She gave Jack one last kiss and regretfully rolled to a sitting position.
‘I take it that was a yes,’ he teased.
‘Look at me,’ she wailed. ‘I look an absolute mess and you go and propose.’
‘Mess, what mess?’
Holding her face in his hands, he placed a kiss on her cold lips. ‘You’ll always be beautiful, inside and out.’
‘You have to say that,’ she said.
‘No, I don’t, but I think you must be wet and uncomfortable, so perhaps you ought to get out of those wet things.’ A naughty twinkle blazed in his eyes.
‘What about the ball?’ she asked with a coy smile, looking over his shoulder towards the marquee, where a crowd had assembled outside the entrance.
‘There is one good thing about you falling in the pond, Mrs Ashcroft to be. It gives us the perfect reason to make our excuses.’
She grinned at him. ‘I like your thinking, Mr Ashcroft.’